Oil Filter Media Seams

[Shel_B]

I'm curious about the types of seams used to join the ends of the filter media. I've seen ends crimped with a metal piece, some that are glued, and some that appear to be stitched together. Maybe there are other ways of joining the ends, I don't know.
I've looked online and haven't been able to find an answer to my questions. Maybe someone here knows.

Are there ways other than the ones mentioned used to secure the media ends?

Are the ends that appear stitched secured additionally, such as with the addition of glue or sealant over the stitching?

Is any one method considered generally superior, or might the joining method be determined by the media material?

Does the design of the filter influence the joining method apart from the media itself, i.e., might a bypass filter be better-served with one or another method vs a standard filter?

Any info you can share regarding the seams would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[ZeeOSix]

I have never seen a "stitched" seam on any oil filter. You have a photo or reference to show one?

IMO, nothing to worry about regardless of how the seam is built ... never seen one fail unless it wasn't done right at production (ie, not a design issue). If the media is going to fail, it will typically be torn at the ends of wide spaced pleats.

 

[doublebase]

I have seen some glued seams come apart in YouTube videos. I personally have never seen it, or experienced it myself, but YouTube has videos of just about every failure on anything. I wouldn’t worry about it, but you never know. Then again a metal crimp could suffer the same type of failure if it isn’t crimped right.

Having just used a high quality filter on a 10,000 mile oil change, with oil analysis coming back with excellent results...I may continue to lay a little more for a higher quality filter. I used a Fram Ultra Synthetic filter...it had a metal crimp, metal screen mesh reinforcement inside, hard plastic end caps (something you don‘t see often anymore on cartridge style filters) and it used a synthetic media. It looked almost brand new after 10,000 miles. I was impressed with it.

 

[Shel_B]

I have never seen a "stitched" seam on any oil filter. You have a photo or reference to show one?

IMO, nothing to worry about regardless of how the seam is built ... never seen one fail unless it wasn't done right at production (ie, not a design issue). If the media is going to fail, it will typically be torn at the ends of wide spaced pleats.

I've a couple on my desk. One is the TRD PTR43-00082 and the other is the Royal Purple 20-967. I'll post pics later today. It's possible that they only appear stitched to my uneducated eye ...

 

[Shel_B]

I have never seen a "stitched" seam on any oil filter. You have a photo or reference to show one?

Here y'go. This is the TRD filter. The Royal Purple is identical. If it's not stitched, perhaps you can tell us what the joint is, how it's put together. Let me know if you need more pics, different perspectives, etc. Thanks!

 

[PimTac]

That pic is hard to see if those are stitches. I would be surprised if that is the case. I would lean more to glue.

I would think a stitched seam would require glue or reinforcement so that would add cost as well.

PS: What does the other side look like?

 

[ZeeOSix]

^^^ Yeah, most likely just glued - might just be seeing the wire backing on the end material of the seam. As PT said above, even if it was "stitched" is would need glue to seal it from leaking any dirty oil. Sewing oil filter seems would just be a waste of time on top of using a proper glue. If it's actually sewn/stitched, I'd like to see hard evidence if that's really the case.

 

[DuckRyder]

TRD and Royal Purple are Champ filters (as are HD) I believe what you are seeing is the ends of the wire media, my experience with these is is that they are glued and the seam is double folded before it is glued into the end caps. So this exposed wire is actually a tail of a doubled fold, if that makes sense.

 

[OVERKILL]

^^^ Yeah, most likely just glued - might just be seeing the wire backing on the end material of the seam. As PT said above, even if it was "stitched" is would need glue to seal it from leaking any dirty oil. Sewing oil filter seems would just be a waste of time on top of using a proper glue. If it's actually sewn/stitched, I'd like to see hard evidence if that's really the case.

It may be thermally bonded if that's a non-glass synthetic media.

 

[drtyler]

TRD and Royal Purple are Champ filters (as are HD) I believe what you are seeing is the ends of the wire media, my experience with these is is that they are glued and the seam is double folded before it is glued into the end caps. So this exposed wire is actually a tail of a doubled fold, if that makes sense.

I was about to write the same thing.

Here is a pic if one of mine:

 

[ZeeOSix]

^^^ Yep, just the wire backing on the media as I mentioned earlier. I have never seen any "stitched" or sewn seam on any oil filter.

 

[Shel_B]

It seems as though the mystery is solved ... well, my mystery. This has been very helpful.

I wrote elsewhere that the two filters appeared to be identical, and the comments by @DuckRyder got me to take a closer look. It's clear now that what I thought was stitching is indeed wire. But also interesting is that the metal core on the filters are different. The TRD has holes and the RP has louvers:

 

[ZeeOSix]

But also interesting is that the metal core on the filters are different. The TRD has holes and the RP has louvers:

Filter makes seem to switch from holes to louvers, so could be due to them being made at different times, and/or TRD changing the filter manufacture. Things seem to change fast in the oil filter world.

 

[drtyler]

It seems as though the mystery is solved ... well, my mystery. This has been very helpful.

I wrote elsewhere that the two filters appeared to be identical, and the comments by @DuckRyder got me to take a closer look. It's clear now that what I thought was stitching is indeed wire. But also interesting is that the metal core on the filters are different. The TRD has holes and the RP has louvers:

View attachment 108066
View attachment 108067

Check the date codes. The newer TRD filters that I have also have louvers.